


the knots we've tied will come undone

by Everyone_Every_Ever



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Crash Fest 2019, False Accusations, M/M, Roswellprompts, Secret Marriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2019-07-07
Packaged: 2020-06-24 08:44:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19720216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Everyone_Every_Ever/pseuds/Everyone_Every_Ever
Summary: Secrets can't be kept forever.As it turns out, they don't need to be.





	1. Kyle

**Author's Note:**

> Gift for Christina (yorkesteins) for the Crash Fest Gift Exchange 2019! I hope you like it! 
> 
> Warning for Max being Max aka making things about himself
> 
> (Title from "From The Ground Up" by Sleeping At Last)

“So,” Kyle started, staring hard at the wooden floorboards of the little cabin. The entire day had been beyond chaotic, to say the least. Learning his dad was a cheater and an alcoholic, meeting back up with the guy he’d bullied in high school, learning Rosa was his sister- honestly, he wasn’t sure much could surprise him at this point. And at that moment, more than anything, Kyle needed a drink. “You maybe have any booze around here? After today, I feel like we could both use it.” 

Alex huffed out a laugh.”Yeah. You could say that. Would you mind getting it? Liquor cabinet is above the microwave, glasses are right next to it.” 

Being the helpful and very desperate to get drunk friend-turned-bully-turned-maybe acquaintance that he was, Kyle nodded and hurried off to the kitchen. Grabbing a random bottle of deep brown liquor from the cabinet, he closed it and opened the one to the right of it. Instead of glasses, mugs and coffee supplies filled the shelves. He was about to move on to the other cabinet next to the liquor when a particular mug caught his eye. It wasn’t fancy, or particularly special, but the words didn’t quite fit what he expected any mug of Alex’s to say. And, based on what he’d learned, it definitely wasn’t his dad’s. “World’s Best Husband” stood out on the plain white mug in bold black lettering. 

Maybe he would have to ask Alex about it later. Maybe when he had a slightly higher blood  
alcohol content.

Three drinks and an hour and a half later, head just starting to pleasantly fuzz over, Kyle did ask. 

“Hey, Alex. So. Who is ‘World’s Best Husband’?” 

Alex froze with his glass halfway to his mouth, but didn’t look up. “Maybe it’s your dad’s. Since he did own the cabin.”

Taking a quick gulp of his drink, Kyle shook his head and laughed. “Can’t imagine my mom having gotten it for my dad, given,” he gestures at the table hiding the trap door, “everything. So, who’s your guy?” 

If Alex wasn’t alert before, he definitely was after that. He set his drink down, stood up, and snipped back at Kyle’s question. “Are you snooping through my cabinets or something? Gonna go back to high school dick, shove my husband into a locker?” He was getting defensive, more irritated than Kyle had expected him to be. “Why do you even care? Can you not just worry about your own life, or does it always have to be about who I’m with?”

Maybe Kyle should have expected such an angry response- totally sober Kyle probably wouldn’t have pushed his luck. But, as it was, tipsy Kyle wasn’t quite as polite. And tipsy Kyle was pretty sure Alex was about to make an attempt on his life. 

Kyle held his hands up in surrender. “Jeez! Calm down! I didn’t know it was a secret!” 

Alex glared for another moment. Sat back down. And spoke, voice low. “Just- don’t say anything to anyone. Please.”

Kyle nodded. 

The rest of the night was silent.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

The reasoning for the mug hit him in the face weeks later, in a creepy little bunker. Michael Guerin’s records on one of the many screens, his date of birth (or lack thereof), his residence, his criminal record.

His spouse.

And that was shocking, because holy fuck Michael Guerin was married. To Alex Manes. 

Kyle stared at the screen. Hard. Really, given how Alex had acted weeks prior, it was surprising that he didn’t just delete the info. 

“Guerin’s your husband?” 

“No, my name is listed under ‘Spouse’ on his file because my homophobic dad really wants me to marry Michael.”

“So that’s a yes?”

“No fucking shit, Kyle.”


	2. Maria

Being in the middle of the desert, alone, drunk and lost, was not a good thing. Maria had been in such a situation more than once before. The situation she found herself in was significantly worse than that. Instead, she was in the middle of the desert, drunk, lost, and alone, except for Michael fucking Guerin. Aka drunk asshole extraordinaire (who, to his credit, was not hard to look at). 

Michael was quite clearly trying his best to find his way to the town they’d left hours ago. And Maria was starting to get sick of trying to follow Guerin’s instincts. So she spoke up. “You have no idea where we are.”

“Uh, I know exactly where we are. We’re in the same spot we were ten minutes ago, because we just made a circle.” As he spoke, he turned slightly, facing up at the stars. 

Maria scoffed. “Please tell me you’re not trying to navigate by the stars.”

“Aw, I’m just hoping a meteorite will strike me down,” he turned to face her, arms outstretched dramatically, “and end my suffering.” He headed on his way in another direction, not checking she was following. 

“That’s not the way!” she exclaimed. 

“Well, it’s the only way we haven’t tried yet.” 

“I shouldn’t have listened to you.” Putting on her best Guerin impression, Maria started mocking him. “Oh, I can lead the way, Deluca. I’m one with the desert, Deluca. I’m basically a coyote, Deluca.”

She got so wrapped up in her imitation of the man that she didn’t even notice he’d stopped short and very nearly collided with him. Michael was still facing away from her, his breathing slow, deep, and even, but somewhat shaky. Peering around him, she couldn’t see what had made him halt so suddenly. Then she turned to look at him, and saw his eyes shut tight, fist gripping something on a chain by his throat. 

Maria didn’t realize she was staring until she saw Michael’s eyes slide open, an oddly guilty and sad look on his face. “I just- I just needed some quiet.” Maria could relate. Her own pendant, from her mother, was what often brought her peace of mind when she was upset. Curiosity still prickled at her, though. What brought Michael Guerin quiet? 

“What’s that?” she asked, still tipsy brain not really getting the idea of “don’t be nosy.” 

Upon her words, he hastily shoved the object back under his shirt, but she caught just enough of a glimpse of it to see it was a ring. “Maybe we should just- give up for the night? Try again when it’s light out?” Michael suggested, like he was trying to get her to forget about it. 

“Yeah- yeah, that sounds good,” she agreed. 

She had her doubts it was a class ring- that would hardly bring peace. And, given as it had been pretty well known that he was a foster kid, a family ring didn’t make sense. Which left only one major option. 

Was Guerin married?

\-------------------------------------- 

As Maria finished up her psychic act and collected the money she was owed from the customer, she heard the door open, and a newly familiar uneven gait start across the floor. 

“Very impressive.” Alex chuckled. “You preparing for your Vegas act?” 

“Oh, no,” she shook her head and pulled out a glass, pouring a small amount of amber liquid into it. “You should be thanking them. They just paid for your booze.” Maria slid the drink across the counter. “Here you go.” Taking a deep breath, she dove in. “To what do I owe the honor of your day drinking, hmm? Please tell me it’s just a standard, run-of-the-mill boy problem. I can’t handle anything more thrilling than that.” She leaned closer, lowering her voice. “Max was in here earlier investigating a literal murder.” 

Alex looked worryingly unmoved by that. “Ah. Right.”

“You don’t look surprised.”

“Yeah, it’s a long story.” Looking up, he smiled, a bit sarcastic and a bit joking. “But, you are in luck. It is just a standard, run-of-the-mill boy problem.” When she gave him a deep, inquisitive look, he rolled his eyes and snorted. “Oh, come on. Don’t give me psychic face, Maria.”

“It’s the guy from the museum. The one that kissed you into crazy stupid love when we were kids.” Her eyes opened wide, shock playing across her features. “He’s back?”

Alex sat back in the stool. “Wha- How- how do you do that?”

“You’re just… I feel it, you’re hopeful, like you were before.” Maria leaned forwards again. “Who is he? Come on, spill it! I’ve been waiting ten years for this! Come on.”

“You wouldn’t believe it.”

“It’s not like you’re hooking up with Wyatt Long or Michael Guerin or something,” she insisted. He looked up, eyes wide in surprise. Oh, no, no. God, please don’t let one of her best friends be in love with a married guy. “Please tell me you’re in love with Wyatt Long.” Alex shook his head, just slightly, but enough. “Wow.”

“Michael’s not so bad after a shower.” 

Maria so badly wanted to keep what she knew a secret. But she could hardly let Alex keep doing this, knowing. “Alex, I think Guerin is married.” 

A look of surprise immediately shot back to Alex’s face. “I- how did you find out?”

“I saw him rubbing a ring, and- you knew already?”

Alex shut his eyes and exhaled. In a low voice, quiet enough that no one but Maria could hear him, he said, “I was the one who suggested it.” 

“Excuse me?” 

“I didn’t exactly propose? I just… Called him as soon as I heard, and said we should, and the next day we did.” 

Maria didn’t know how to feel about that. “So- you married Michael Guerin? When?” 

“Twenty-thirteen, day after it was legalized.” 

So Alex had been married for over five years. That wasn’t what she expected at all. It hurt, a bit. Why hadn’t she been invited? Why didn’t she know before? Did Liz know? “Is there a reason you didn’t make it public?” 

“It wasn’t because I didn’t want to tell you. Or Liz. Or anyone. We just… Have had a bit of trouble? The first person to find out about us… Didn’t have a good reaction. And I’m one of the only out people in Roswell, and I couldn’t make Michael a target for anything, okay? And I know you wouldn’t have done anything, but word spreads from everywhere.”

That did make sense. It didn’t feel great, still, knowing her friend was married and she didn’t get to be there, but it wasn’t like he’d left specifically her out. 

“We didn’t really have much of a ‘Wedding’ marriage or anything. It was just the sheriff, a couple people who already knew, and us, in a courthouse, then a dinner. You didn’t miss much.” 

“So I take it you guys aren’t really wedding people?” Alex looked conflicted. For a second, he opened his mouth like he intended to reply, but didn’t. “Alex? Did you want a wedding?” 

He was silent. Then, at a rather irate look from Maria, he began to open up. “I didn’t not want one, I guess? But neither of us have a huge pool of friends and family, and not exactly a big budget if we did have one, and I was already on leave, and then everyone would know, and, honestly, I don’t even know if Michael would want a wedding!” He looked a bit shocked and very embarrassed by the tangent he had just gone on, casting furtive glances around the room to make sure no one had heard him.

Maria reached across the bar and grabbed his hands. “If he married you, then he loves you, yeah?” He nodded. “So, don’t you think he would wanna have a wedding if it was something you wanted? Besides, maybe he thought you didn’t want a wedding?”

Given his expression (not to mention being psychic), Maria could tell he hadn’t thought of that before.

“So,” she began. “Where do you want this to happen?”

(Maria was so going to be the best woman. Liz could fight her on this.)


	3. Max

Pulling into the driveway of his house, Max saw two things. Michael, and red, though the second was definitely caused by the first. 

“Leave,” Max commanded, as Michael stood there, seemingly desperate to say something to him, something to excuse the utter bullshit he was going to say.

“Missed you, too,” Michael says, like they’re playing around, joking.

“You are not my family, you are not my friend. So get off my property.” 

“I need to talk to you about Isobel. She needs us.” Normally, maybe Max would have considered Michael bothering to ask for help with anything a plus. But after what had just happened, Michael in general made his stomach turn.

“Pretty sure you two have been just fine figuring things out on your own, leaving me in the dark about my own life.”

Michael kept protesting, still totally futile. “We had no choice but to run Liz outta town, Max! We knew you would cave. You would never have been able to watch her grieve Rosa. You were gonna tell her our secret!”

Max rolled his eyes. Fuck all of this. “That wasn’t your decision to make.”

“You weren’t capable of making it!” 

“What if it had been Alex Manes? Hmm? What if the reason Alex left town that summer was me?” 

Michael’s mouth dropped a bit. Like Max wasn’t well aware of Alex and Michael’s affair. “How long you known about that?”

Max leapt at that, like a cat seeing an angry frog sitting stupefied. “What, like you’re so good at hiding the fact that you’re fucking a married man?” He scoffed. “Hell, if I knew who he was married to, I’d go tell him now- not like you deserve to keep the good thing you have, given as you think it’s fine to take my good thing away.” 

Genuine tears were gathering in Michael’s eyes, brimming, and breaking across his cheeks. In all the time they’d spent together, Max could count on one hand how many times Michael had cried in front of him, but this time he couldn’t really bring himself to care. 

After taking a couple of deep, shaky breaths, Michael spoke up, ignoring the second half of the accusation. “You’re right. If- If you were the reason Alex went to war… I’d hate you.” 

“Yeah.” With an overexaggerated shove, Max made his way past Michael, who had begun to just slightly shake- with rage or tears, Max didn’t bother to know. “I have work to do.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------

It was dark by the time Max pulled into the junkyard. A fire burned in front of the Airstream, casting a red glow over Michael where he sat, staring into the flames and holding a bottle of beer. 

Michael glanced up at the rumble of Max’s car, then turned back to the flame as he got out, striding briskly over to Michael and the fire. 

“Here to pour salt in a wound?” Michael asked, some combination of angry and resigned brewing in his voice. 

With a heavy sigh, Max began his (honestly, pitiful) attempt at making reparations with Michael. “I shouldn’t have thrown Alex in your face like that. I’m sorry. Look, if he- If he wants to cheat on his husband, that’s not your fault. Doesn’t make you a bad person. And I may not like that that’s a choice you made, but bad choices other people make- that Alex makes- aren’t on you. But, maybe try to sleep with guys who aren’t married?”

“It’s just him.” Like that’s an answer. 

Max rushed to correct whatever mistake he’d made to make Michael think that mattered to him. “None of that matters to me. I’m here-”

“Max, I mean it’s just him. No other guys. No girls. Just Alex. No one else. At all. Never.” 

“I don’t care who you don’t wanna fuck, either, Michael. Just- I don’t care.” 

Michael gave him a look. A very “Are-You-Fucking-Stupid-Max?” look. “I don’t mean- Yes, Alex has a husband. I know. I’ve known since he got married.”

“So are you saying you-”

“Married Alex Manes? Yeah. Second it was legal, Alex happened to be on leave,so we went straight to a courthouse a few counties over, got hitched. Twentieth of December, twenty-thirteen. Is- A couple of his military buddies were there. The Valentis- the sheriff and Jim, not Kyle- were there, too.”

That wasn’t quite what Max had in mind. Rather, while he had been close to accusing Alex of cheating with someone who had played an important role in the marriage, he hadn’t imagined Michael would be a groom. 

He stood there in stunned silence for what felt to both men like hours, Michael’s eyes, for a moment, hopeful, falling back to defensive and wary, while Max’s expression slowly changed from shocked to beyond pissed. 

“So, what, you invite the sheriff, a couple of Alex’s air force buddies, but you don't invite me or Isobel? Because apparently we don’t give enough of a shit, right?” The words came out a hair too loud, but equally as angry. For a moment, they both stood in tense silence as they waited for something- someone nearby to ask about the commotion, Isobel to wake up, something. But nothing came, and, just as quickly as it had stopped, the discussion started up again. “Seriously, who invites a couple of random guys from the military before their own family? 

Defensive, in half a second, turned to angry. A few rocks on the ground nearby trembled just slightly, just a tiny warning of what would happen if Max pushed again, and Michael stood up from the chair he had been seated in, taking two brisk strides around the fire to Max. “And here, I thought I wasn’t your family, wasn’t your friend. What do I owe you, Max? Telling you about Alex, letting you talk shit about who I choose to care about, let you compare him to his dad? Because, let’s be honest, that’s how you think of him. He can do anything, be anyone, and you’re only gonna look at him and see a guy whose ancestors tried to hunt down our family. Which, be as distrustful of the military as you want, but Alex isn’t gonna do that, okay? He’s a good man, and a good husband, and I swear to whatever the fuck exists out there, you say a word, you make a move, anything that makes him feel unsafe or that drags up old trauma, you’re fucking done, Max.”

For a second, Max spluttered, words lost, but he quickly returned to his anger. “Okay, well- well why would he wanna marry you?

“Because he fucking loves me, obviously? Because I’ve been with him for ten years, five before we got married, and we’ve been through his deployments, and his dad trying to control him, and both of our traumas, and him losing his leg? Because I’m not as unlovable as you seem to fucking think, okay?” Michael’s eyes went soft as he spoke. “Alex sees the faults you constantly pick at and insult me for, and he loves me. Easily.” 

It seemed like that would be the end of the conversation. The silence stretched longer than it had before, and both aliens were just starting to relax their postures. Then, the soft creak of the old, but well-cared-for door of Michael’s Airstream broke the quiet, and Isobel stepped out.

“Is!” Max called, starting over to his sister. It was good to see her up and about, even if she didn’t look exactly thrilled at the moment. 

Instead of rushing to hug him, Isobel gave Max an angry, disgusted look. “Are you kidding me?” she demanded, eyebrows drawn tight, mouth fixed in a line. “Michael finally tells you that he’s married- which he only did because you essentially accused him of being a home-wrecking whore, by the way- and you react like-” Isobel waves her hand around in Max’s general direction for a moment, then continues, “-that? Seriously?” 

In seconds, Max had gone from angry, to relieved, to somewhat ashamed. “I didn’t- wait, you knew?”

“Uh, yeah. I was there. I made all the reservations. Do you really think Michael- or Alex, though he’s definitely considerably less of a disaster with planning- would be able to plan anything but showing up at a courthouse in jeans? Because I don’t.” 

“So why invite Isobel, but not me, then, Michael? You have an explanation for that?” A sour, offended look was starting to reappear on Max’s face. 

Before Michael could open his mouth, Isobel answered. “Because it isn’t about you, Max! He didn’t do it to spite you! It was small, and it was private, and I got invited because Noah helped with the paperwork and that’s how I found out! Alex’s friends were there because they knew from when Alex got letters, and the Valentis knew because Alex wanted help trying to hide it from his dad!”

Max stood for a moment, stunned. “I…” 

“Alex and I haven’t had… An easy time. Max, I didn’t tell you ‘cause I didn’t think you’d approve of him, I didn’t think you’d approve of me marrying anyone. And I didn’t want Alex to have to go through having my family hate him, too.”

“I would’ve stuck by you! Even if I didn’t approve, I do, honestly, wanna see you happy, Michael.” Max brought a hand up to rub his eyes, brushing away the drops forming. Because, really, how badly did he have to fuck up for his brother to assume he’d hate the love of his brother’s life? Or even to think that he didn’t have the same unconditional love towards Michael that he did for Isobel? “I’m… so sorry for what I said earlier, okay? You are my brother, and I do care about you. And you love the guy. And I’m sorry for wishing that you’d lose him.”

Silence stretched for a long, long time. Then, all at once, Michael, without saying anything, ran over and threw his arms around his brother, hugging him tightly. For a second, Max stopped moving, totally unused to this level of vulnerable and emotional from Michael- his own fault, he supposed. Then, he moved his hands, one across Michael’s shoulders and the other gesturing Isobel over. She wrapped her arms around Michael, tears shining in her eyes.

They stood like that for a long time, until the moon was high and the sun was a distant memory of the sky. Max felt his sibling’s tears begin to soak into his jacket, but there was nothing in him at that moment that cared about anything but having his siblings there, in his arms. And if his own tears splashed down onto their hair, then, well…

They didn’t have to know.


End file.
